Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-195 (2026)

Consolidation of governments

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) As used in this section and sections 7-196 to 7-201, inclusive, “unit of local government” means a town or political subdivision thereof and “political subdivision” means a city, borough or district within a town.

(b) The consolidation of the government of any town with the government or governments of one or more political subdivisions therein shall be effected in the manner hereinafter prescribed. A proposal to consolidate setting forth the units of local government to be consolidated may be adopted by a majority vote of the entire membership of the legislative body of any unit of local government or, when the legislative body is the town meeting, by a majority vote of those present and voting. Upon adoption of such proposal, a copy thereof shall be transmitted to the legislative body of each other unit of local government included in the proposed consolidation, which legislative body shall, within thirty days of the adoption of the proposal, accept or reject the proposal. Acceptance shall be by resolution adopted by at least a majority vote of the entire membership of the legislative body of each such other unit or, when the legislative body is the town meeting, by a majority vote of those present and voting, a copy of which resolution shall forthwith be filed with the town clerk.

(c) In addition to the method of initiating a consolidation set forth above, such action may also be initiated by petition. Such petition shall set forth the units of local government to be consolidated and shall be signed by not less than ten per cent of the electors of each political subdivision included in the proposed consolidation and by not less than ten per cent of the electors of the town, if any, residing outside the boundaries of any such political subdivision; provided, if a lesser number of signatures on such petition is required by any existing special act, such number shall be sufficient for the purposes of this section. Prior to the obtaining of any signatures on such petition, a copy thereof shall be filed with the town clerk and a period of ninety days from the date of such filing shall be allowed for the obtaining of the required signatures. Within not more than ninety days from the filing of the copy of the petition with the town clerk, the signed petition shall be filed with the town clerk, who shall proceed forthwith to determine its sufficiency by comparing the names thereon with those contained in the registry list of the town and shall certify its sufficiency or insufficiency to the presiding officer of the legislative body of the town; provided a separate petition may be signed by the electors of each political subdivision included within the proposed consolidation and by the electors residing outside the boundaries of any such political subdivision, in which case the clerk of each such political subdivision shall determine the sufficiency of the petition so far as such political subdivision is concerned and shall certify such sufficiency or insufficiency to the clerk of the town, who shall transmit the certification to the presiding officer of the legislative body of the town.

(1957, P.A. 465, S. 9; 1971, P.A. 55; P.A. 80-474, S. 1, 4.)

History: 1971 act required passage by two-thirds majority of those present and voting when legislative body is town meeting; P.A. 80-474 amended Subsec. (b) to require adoption and acceptance of consolidation by simple majority rather than two-thirds majority.

Cited. 152 C. 676. District means geographical subdivision, inhabitants of which are invested with power to discharge some function of government; since districts in consolidated city of Norwich are not units of local government but subdivisions of city, changes in city charter affecting them were properly made by amendment and not by consolidation procedures hereunder. 155 C. 573. Cited. 171 C. 74; 179 C. 589; 184 C. 30; 188 C. 276; 195 C. 524; 208 C. 543.

Watertown and Oakville Fire districts are units of local government and consolidation with Watertown is governed by Secs. 7-195 to 7-201. 28 CS 413.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases, 1965–2011 · leading case: Miller v. Eighth Utils. Dist., 427 A.2d 425 (Conn. 1980).

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Miller v. Eighth Utils. Dist., 427 A.2d 425 (Conn. 1980). · cites it 9× “Following the consolidation procedure provided in the Home Rule Act, the plaintiffs first filed with the town clerk a copy of a petition proposing the consolidation of the district with the town; General Statutes § 7-195 (c); and then circulated the petition within the town.”

Avalonbay Communities, Inc. v. Zoning Comm'n, 908 A.2d 1033 (Conn. 2006). · cites it 4× “, General Statutes §§ 7-195 (a) (“ ‘political subdivision’ means a city, borough or district within a town”) and 28-1 (12) (“ ‘[political subdivision’ means any city, town, municipality, borough or other unit of local government”). It is also undisputed that, under the text of §…”

Windham First Taxing Dist. v. Town of Windham, 546 A.2d 226 (Conn. 1988). · cites it 4× “* 2 The district argues that its power to light streets may be terminated only by consolidation of the district with another unit of government pursuant to General Statutes § 7-195 or by termination of the district pursuant to General Statutes § 7-329.”

Dugas v. Beauregard, 236 A.2d 87 (Conn. 1967). · cites it 9× “We conclude that the city consolidation district and the town consolidation district of the city of Norwich are not units of local government within the meaning of General Statutes §§ 7-195 through 7-201, which provide for the consolidation of local governments.”

Pepin v. City of Danbury, 368 A.2d 88 (Conn. 1976). · cites it 3× “In the consolidation ordinance, “provision shall be made for the allocation of local *84 governmental functions and services .”

Mayfield v. Goshen Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., 22 A.3d 1251 (Conn. 2011). · cites it 2× “” See also General Statutes § 7-195 (a) (“[a]s used in this section and sections 7-196 to 7-201, inclusive, ‘unit of local government’ means a town or political subdivision thereof and ‘political subdivision’ means a city, borough or district within a town”); General Stat *747…”

Russo v. Town of Watertown, 441 A.2d 56 (Conn. 1981). · cites it 2× “99), and attacked the validity of an ordinance alleged to have been illegally adopted by the town and city of Danbury under then General Statutes §§ 7-195 and 7-197 of the Home Rule Act.”

Wenzel v. Town of Danbury, 211 A.2d 683 (Conn. 1965). · cites it 2× “99), which provides for the adoption of consolidation ordinances, and they also attack the validity of such an ordinance alleged to-have been illegally adopted by the town and city of Danbury under General Statutes §§ 7-195 and. 7-197. There are four plaintiffs.”

Rothkopf v. City of Danbury, 242 A.2d 771 (Conn. 1968). · cites it 2× “Specifically, they seek a declaratory judgment determining the constitutionality of §§ 7-195 through 7-201 of the General Stat *349 ntes, commonly known as the Home Rule Act, and the constitutionality and legality of a consolidation ordinance enacted pursuant to that act…”

Town of Watertown v. Watertown Fire Dist., 265 A.2d 496 (Conn. Super. Ct. 1968). · cites it 3× “” It is clear and undisputed that the defendants Watertown Fire District and Oakville Fire District are units of local government within the definition of § 7-195 of the General Statutes. Dugas v.”

— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-195(a) — 1 case

Avalonbay Communities, Inc. v. Zoning Comm'n, 908 A.2d 1033 (Conn. 2006). “, General Statutes §§ 7-195 (a) (“ ‘political subdivision’ means a city, borough or district within a town”) and 28-1 (12) (“ ‘[political subdivision’ means any city, town, municipality, borough or other unit of local government”). It is also undisputed that, under the text of §…”

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